Brayden Parks Visit This Weekend Could Be The Start Of Great Things In Chicago
It was a crisp October Friday evening on the south side of Chicago as I stood on the home sideline at Gary Little Stadium, and I was approached by a Crusaders’ staffer that noticed my credentials. He began to inquire about who I was there to see and immediately started sharing information about the players I mentioned. He was effusive in his praise for the character of players like 2027 DL King Liggins, 2028 DE Kameron McGee, and 2028 TE Jack McNamara. As he began to wrap up his comments about 2027 4-star DT Brayden Parks of Chicago (Ill.) Brother Rice, he mentioned that a certain coach (former defensive line coach Al Washington) for the Fighting Irish had visited during the week and told the Brother Rice coaching staff that he was going to do whatever it took to get Brayden Parks. At that moment, I felt that the Fighting Irish were without a doubt the team to beat for Parks.
Since that evening, the Irish defensive coaching staff has gone through some twists and turns leading to three new assistants on that side of the ball. The changes put some top targets in a holding pattern as they waited to see who the new coaches would be. The 6-3 305-pounder was disappointed that changes were being made, but he was patient and confident that the next man was going to be a good coach.
“I wasn’t worried about it,” Parks told LL. “I just wanted to see who it would be. Coach (Marcus) Freeman and Coach (Nick) Sebastian were talking to me a lot, and I talk to Coach (Charlie) Partridge a lot now, so we’re building a good relationship.”
The Fighting Irish made the recent top 8 schools list for the 164th ranked player according to 247 Sports, and they are joined by Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, Illinois, Oregon, Miami, Georgia and Tennessee. He plans to visit all of those schools this spring, with Notre Dame getting the first crack on his spring visit tour this weekend, and it will be a chance for Parks to get a better grasp on everything he’s learned about Charlie Partridge to this point.
“I have a lot of respect for him (Partridge),” Parks shared. “He’s developed a lot of guys in college and the NFL just like me, so he knows what it takes to get there. I know we’re going to spend some 1 on 1 time together, so I’m excited about that.”
This weekend will be Parks’ fourth visit to South Bend, so he’s very comfortable with the campus, fanbase, and culture. His relationship with Charlie Partridge is important, but he’s going to use the practice to see how the defensive linemen are responding to the coaching.
“The practice will show me a lot,” Parks explained. “I want to see how his guys react to how he’s coaching and how they work together and get better.”
The Fighting Irish remain at the top of his remaining suitors because he values everything the program has to offer on and off the field. His recruitment in the home stretch with some of the best defensive line coaches in the country like Oregon’s Tony Tuioti, Ohio State’s Larry Johnson, and others preparing to make their pitch heading into the summer and official visits. Parks will return to South Bend for his official visit June 12-14.
“Notre Dame has everything,” Parks continued. That’s why they’ve always been one of my top schools. Relationships and development are what I’m looking at. I’m going to make another cut after my spring visits and then take my officials. I’ll make a decision after.”
His recruitment signals a more intensified effort when it comes to securing elite talent from the Chicagoland area. It seems like the words of former Irish defensive line coach (Al Washington) have been passed like a baton to the entire coaching and recruiting staff, and this weekend will be another step towards doing whatever it takes to get Brayden Parks in the 2027 class.
